Beaches' History of Public Recreation More Than 100 Years OldFORT MYERS - America's first official public beach is 102 years old this summer. Revere Beach, located just five miles north of Boston, Mass., opened to the public in 1896. Among the beach's first attractions were a boulevard, a public bathhouse, shade pavilions, a bandstand and an amusement park. However, the public was not always welcome on the three-mile stretch of land that is the Revere Beach Reservation - it originally was privately owned. Former Massachusetts Governor William Russell appointed the Metropolitan Park Commission (MPC) in July 1892 to investigate the creation of a regional park system for the greater Boston area. The MPC saw the value of the private beach land and convinced the Massachusetts legislature to acquire it in 1895. Landscape designer Charles Eliot then designed the property for public use. Beachgoers have enjoyed the surf and sand on Revere Beach for more than 100 years. During peak beach season - Easter time to Labor Day - Revere Beach welcomed visitors from all over the world. In the early years, sun-seekers walked, biked or took horse drawn carriages; then in the late 1880s trolley and train service became available. The beach did experience some deterioration in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, but the MPS revitalized it and re-opened it in 1994. In July 2004, Revere Beach was designated a National Historic Landmark; and today, the beach continues to be a thriving asset for the Boston area. Revere Beach is just one of more than 650 major public beaches enjoyed by Americans all over the United States. "Beaches are vital to our way of life in America," says coastal expert Orville Magoon, who retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1983 after 30 years of coastal planning, design and construction. "The beach is a place for everyone to relax and enjoy." For more information about the history of America's beaches during this summer beach season, visit www.asbpa.org. (This information is provided by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association.)
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